


A Night by the Fire

by itsclowreedsfault



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Aspiro Zine, Fluff, Found Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-28 08:55:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19808947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsclowreedsfault/pseuds/itsclowreedsfault
Summary: Callum might not be able to understand Zym the same way Ez does, but it’s never stopped him from talking as if he could. Zym likes that about him. He also likes watching Callum draw—he makes the funniest expressions, wrinkling his nose and chewing on his pencil—so, once again, Zym does as Callum says and stays as still as possible.For a while, it works. He manages to ignore the insects flitting about, and the warmth radiating from the fire leaves him content and sleepy.Unfortunately for Callum, Zym's success is short-lived.





	A Night by the Fire

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was originally written for the [Aspiro Zine](http://dragon-prince-zine.tumblr.com/).

At the foot of a mountain, a small fire burns, enveloping its surroundings in flickering oranges and reds. The sky above is clear in a way that only happens on the coldest of nights, with stars like diamonds littering the deep dark blue, and the moon shines almost at its fullest.

In the chilly weather, the fire is a haven of warmth for those crowding around it. Zym has made himself comfortable by sitting close to the flames, curling his tail around himself and chirping happily whenever an insect is attracted towards the light.

"Zym! I told you to stay still!" Callum's voice breaks through Zym's attempts to capture a buzzing fly in his mouth. 

This is not the first time he's been scolded, but Zym is only slightly ashamed as he lets the fly go.

_ They're so fun, I can't help it! _

"Don't look at me like that. This is the third time now," Callum says, readjusting his notebook on his lap and tapping the pencil against his leg. "I know you love chasing anything that flies, but I can't draw you if you keep moving around."

Callum might not be able to understand Zym the same way Ez does, but it’s never stopped him from talking as if he could. Zym likes that about him. He also likes watching Callum draw—he makes the funniest expressions, wrinkling his nose and chewing on his pencil—so, once again, Zym does as Callum says and stays as still as possible. 

For a while, it works. He manages to ignore the insects flitting about, and the warmth radiating from the fire leaves him content and sleepy.

Unfortunately for Callum, Zym's success is short-lived.

Zym is close to falling asleep when a delicious smell fills the air. He tilts his head towards it, nostrils flaring. He knows this smell—sweet, tender meat. It reminds him that he hasn't eaten yet, and the sudden realization has his stomach growling.

It doesn't take him long to locate the source. A few steps away, Rayla is sitting on a fallen log with the rabbits she'd caught earlier piled up beside her. Her knife glints under the moonlight as she works on skinning one of them, revealing the tasty-looking meat underneath.

"Zym."

Zym turns his head back when Callum clears his throat. Luckily, there's no scolding this time, but Zym can't stop himself from continuing to steal glances towards Rayla. She's absorbed in her task, oblivious to Zym's watchful gaze. 

She never lets him eat raw meat. No matter how many times Zym asks Ez to tell her that he prefers it, Rayla always shakes her head and tells him to wait like everyone else until it's cooked. It's frustrating, especially on nights like this, when his stomach is empty and the smell keeps on tempting him.

Still, there's nothing he can do, not when Rayla's attention is fully focused on the rabbits— 

"Rayla, are these edible?"

Zym's head snaps towards the edge of the circle illuminated by the fire, where Ez and Bait are returning from their quest for more things to eat. They seem to have been successful—Ez has his arms full of berries, and Bait is a telltale shade of red.

"Bait ate some of them, even though I told him not to. I thought they might be moonberries, but they could just be some poisonous— Oops!" Some of the berries tumble to the ground when Ez trips over a rock.

Zym perks up when Rayla leaves her spot to run towards Ez, taking some of the fruits away from him before they can meet the same fate as the others. She's saying something to him, but Zym is no longer paying attention. His gaze has turned to the rabbits, now left completely unattended. It's a chance he can't waste.

Zym leaps to his feet, dashing towards the rabbits while Rayla's back is turned, and in a heartbeat the rich taste of meat fills his mouth. He yips contentedly, continuing to chew even as Rayla's outraged scream echoes through the air and Callum's burst of laughter joins the cacophony.

"Zym, you little—! Get away from that  _ right now _ !"

Usually, Rayla's tone would be intimidating, but there's not much she can do with her hands full of berries, and the rabbit is the best thing Zym's ever tasted. So Zym decides to ignore her. He takes a particularly enthusiastic bite and some of the blood splatters on his face and the grass surrounding him. 

Rayla groans.

"You're making a mess.  _ This _ is why we can never let you eat raw meat!"

"Let him eat, Rayla, he's obviously enjoying it!" Ez laughs, earning a supportive croak from Bait. "There's enough left for the rest of us."

Zym raises his eyes from his meal long enough to see Rayla looking at Callum for support, but Callum is still cackling while clutching his notebook to his chest. 

"You have to admit, that was a smart move," he says between gasps for breath.

"Ugh, you are so annoying." Rayla arranges the berries atop a bunch of leaves, motioning for Ez to do the same. "I won't be the one to clean him up after, just sayin'. Careful, Ez, don't let them fall on the dirt."

As the ruckus calms down, they all return to their tasks. Callum, apparently resigned to the fact that he won't be drawing Zym anymore tonight, busies himself with adding more wood to the fire, while Ez settles down with Bait next to the berries. Zym catches sight of them sneaking some away from the pile every few minutes; now that Ez knows they're not poisonous, he doesn't seem too intent on stopping Bait—or himself—from eating them.

Zym huffs in amusement, but Rayla's approach makes him fall silent. She sits outside the reach of the blood splatters, returning to the task of skinning the rabbits with a blank face.

Zym looks back to what's left of the rabbit in front of him and hesitates. He doesn't want Rayla to be mad at him. He's used to her chiding and scolding everyone, but she usually ends up joining them in laughing over whatever it was that prompted it. Rayla is kind, and has a forgiving heart; Zym doesn't like seeing her like this.

A whine gets stuck in his throat, and he nudges the remains of the rabbit to the side until they lie at Rayla's feet.

_ I'm sorry. _

Rayla stops with her knife mid-movement to stare from the rabbit to Zym, and her eyes widen slightly before her expression softens into a smile. "You can have that, Zym."

Zym whines again.

"I'm not angry," she assures him. Zym tilts his head, still not quite believing her. "Promise. You can finish that this time. But—" She points the knife at him, squinting. "—do  _ not  _ do that again. Next time, we'll figure out a way for you to eat what you want without turning the scene into a bloodbath. Deal?" 

_ Deal! _

Zym chirps in delight and Rayla laughs. The tension is immediately broken, making the air feel lighter, and the meat tastes even sweeter when Zym finishes it off without the weight of guilt. He tries to keep from hitting Rayla with the blood, and he succeeds—mostly, at least, because some of it continues to drip steadily down his chin.

"Come here, Zym," Ez calls out to him once Zym's done eating.

The pile of berries is considerably smaller than it'd been before when Zym sits down next to Ez and Bait. They'd chosen a comfortable spot, far enough from the fire to avoid the heat getting too intense, but close enough that the light still falls over them and casts deep shadows on the ground.

"C'mon, Zym, we need to get you cleaned up," Ez says, motioning for Zym to get closer. "Bait, we can't run out of water, so you'll have to lick some of the blood off of him." When Bait groans, turning a light shade of purple, Ez laughs, then picks him up and plops him down in front of Zym. "Don't be like that, help me out!"

Bait grimaces, but does as Ez tells him. As Zym squirms under the attack of drool, something about this moment pulls a memory to the forefront of his mind. He remembers taking his first steps into the world, surrounded by the voices he'd only heard through the protective shell of an egg, and being enveloped by the joy radiating from them all as Bait licked his eyes open and allowed him to see for the first time.

Back then, he'd felt safe and loved, and it's the same now. Zym hasn't been traveling with them for long, but Ez, Bait, Callum, and Rayla are his family just as much as the parents he's never met. Despite missing his mother, Zym loves spending time with them.

_ I'm really happy to be with all of you, Ez!  _

Ez smiles and pulls Zym—now completely clean of blood—to curl up next to him. "We're happy you're here with us too, Zym." 

The smell of roasting meat floats through the air. Somewhere to his left, Callum and Rayla talk in hushed voices, barely audible over the crackling fire and the distant hoot of an owl. The weight of a good meal rests heavy in Zym's belly, as heavy as the pleasant lethargy spreading through his body. The night is cold, but Zym has never felt warmer.

"Goodnight," he hears Ez say moments before his eyes slip shut, and he falls asleep to the soothing sounds of the ones he cherishes surrounding him.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on [tumblr](https://itsclowreedsfault.tumblr.com/) | [twitter](https://twitter.com/chuuyanodazai)


End file.
